The Creative Team on Bringing 'Eternals: The 500 Year War' to Life

The ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR complete series is now available on the Marvel Unlimited app, Marvel's award-winning digital comic subscription service, as well as on WEBTOON, the world's largest digital comics platform.

The 7-issue Infinity Comics series, in partnership between Marvel Comics and WEBTOON, features a powerhouse roster of global talent spotlighting the Eternals in their past encounters during the 500 Year War against the Deviants around the world. While fighting the Deviants, readers will get to witness the Eternals interact with different cultures of the human race across time through the cultural artifacts that were gifted to them.

Each issue features an international creative team of writers and artists from the respective country that the story is being told in. The rotating creative line-up includes writers Dan Abnett, Aki Yanagi, Jongmin Shin, Ju-Yeon Park, David Macho, Rafael Scavone, Yifan Jiang; artists Geoffo, Rickie Yagawa, Do Gyun Kim, Magda Price, Marcio Fiorito; and Gunji. Colorists also include Matt Milla, Carlos Macias, Fernando Sifuentes, Pete Pantazis, and Felipe Sobreiro.

Marvel.com had the opportunity to speak with some of creative teams about utilizing the WEBTOON format as well as incorporating an Eternals story in their native homeland.

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #1

An international, all-star creative team of writers and artists presents ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR! Across 7-issues, follow the Eternals in their past encounters against the Deviants. While fighting their longstanding enemies, witness the Eternals interact with different cultures of the human race across time, through the cultural artifacts that were gifted to them.

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #2

Druig and Makkari recall their adventure (and Deviant battle) while visiting 11th century Japan!

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #3

It's Sprite's turn to tell a story about a tumultuous team-up with Kingo in 12th century Korea!

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #4

Ajak and Phastos attempt to broker peace during the Spanish Reconquista!

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #5

Thena and Gilgamesh go against the current as they thwart an underwater thread during the age of the pirates!

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #6

Sersi and Ikaris reflect on their complicated history in an intertwined adventure featuring their artifact. 

ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR #7

The Eternals stand together to help Ikaris and Sersi against a Deviant invasion!

Dan Abnett

Writer, Issue #1, Issue #7

"It was great to assist the editorial team in overseeing and planning an epic Eternals story that stretched across the world and the centuries to showcase the enduring legacy of the characters," shares Abnett. "Without conflicting with, or spoiling, the movie, we set out to create a powerful story that allowed each 'episode' to take place in a different time and place, so that each could be delivered by a creative team from that part of the world. I think, as a result, the project has a truly global and authentic feel, and matches perfectly the spirit and scope of the Eternals."

Geoffo

Artist, Issue #1

“I love [playing with the WEBTOON format]," proclaims Geoffo. "When you scroll, you don't see beyond what is on your screen, so you can amaze the reader at any moment. We can go from a nice quiet view of the sun, then have Ikaris flying right to our face! As Scott McCloud wrote, you can really play with the pacing, vary the distance between panels, have a veeeery long panel, do several small panels close together, and so on. You don't have any restrictions in terms of size and shape from one panel to another, so you can build tension and surprise at every scroll. There are infinite possibilities!”

As for the characters and locations themselves, Geoffo says, "When working on the episodes, before I saw the movie, I fell in love with Makkari's character. She is so cool and badass. I tried my best to draw the American sign language correctly… it was really fun and I was so honored," before continuing, "When working on this kind of project linked to the MCU, my favorite part (beyond drawing) is that I can get exclusive behind-the-scenes access. Seeing the costumes from every angle, backgrounds from the Domo, turnaround from the Deviants, I could spend days looking at it!”

Aki Yanagi

Writer, Issue #2

“I have been a big fan of Marvel and loved history for as long as I remember, so thinking about where to put the Eternals Druig and Makkari in the story I did, and who they would meet in the Japanese history was really fun to think about," reveals Yanagi. "I hope all the Eternals will come to Japan again, in a more peaceful time.”

David Macho

Writer, Issue #4

“Marvel giving me the chance to tell a story set in my country was an absolute treat! But it also meant a lot of pressure and responsibility," reflects Macho. "I mean, you start collecting references, do more and more research, read books, search the web, look at paintings, architecture, and that’s when the idea comes. In this case, setting it the day in history when the mosque was 'consecrated' as a Cathedral by the Castilians using real characters and settings. To give you an example, our story takes places in the majestic mosque / cathedral of Cordoba. But of course, the streets of Cordoba and even the mosque itself didn’t look like they do now in the 13th century, when our story takes place."

"We had to make very sure we didn’t make it 'too modern' or that we didn't put something in there that didn’t exist back then," continues Macho. "This is a very subtle thing, but it felt really important to me that the Deviants we show in our story are actually based on the actual fauna living near Cordoba: Grizzly bear, Genet, Iberian lynx, Cinereous vulture, and Eurasian-eagle owl. You even worry about the lighting being accurate (the Andalucia region of Spain has a very particular / special light) and I even sent references of that to the colorist. In the end, seeing it all so marvelously drawn by Magda, who did such an incredible, detailed, and hard work, and was such an amazing collaborator, and colored by an amazing color artist like Pete makes me feel really proud of the result. And if this makes anybody, even one person, want to visit Cordoba, or want to learn more about its rich history (because yes, there was an educational intention in the way I decided to tell the story. Guilty as charged), it’ll make the happiest man on Earth.”

Magda Price

Artist, Issue #4

"[The Webtoons format] is quite enjoyable and interesting," comments Price. "It has its limitations but also its advantages compared to a normal comic book format. It wasn't the first time I worked with it, but you can always learn and try new things. In this case, using the Eternals' powers as transitions and panels was super fun and something you can only do with these characters. I've read the other chapters and there are lots of clever ways the artists used this format, loved them! I am eager to learn and experiment with it more!"

Rafael Scavone

Writer, Issue #5

"It was fantastic to write a chapter of this," exclaims Scavone. "Eternals have such a myriad of cool characters that allow you to tell a story mostly anytime in history, anywhere in the World. The chapter I had the pleasure to work on, alongside the talented Marcio Fiorito and Felipe Sobreiro, isn't set on the ground, but in the sea, crossing the Atlantic towards the global south, on the way to a land that will be later named as Brazil. It’s fascinating to see ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR taking shape through important places and events of history. I’m convinced now that this dynamic of weaving a story around important moments of the past was pretty much what the great Jack Kirby had in mind when creating these amazing heroes, and I’m pleased to be a tiny part of it."

Yifan Jiang

Writer, Issue #6

“The pressure was absolutely there to write about my home AND the penultimate episode for Dan Abnett’s brilliant overall arc," states Jiang. "Ultimately, I chose to listen to the ‘Chinese Marvel fanboy’ in me, and tried to make it true, fresh and let my artist Gunji have fun. (Check out her SWORDMASTER, she’s the one to go to when monsters in ancient China are in order!) Then Dan, and editors Darren Shan and Kat Gregorowicz worked their magic and made it so much better. I owe it all to the teamwork!”

Read Eternals: The 500 Year War on Marvel Unlimited or WEBTOON now!

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